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Fundraising tips and ideas: Maximize fundraising opportunities with PayPal

Your work as a nonprofit is incredibly important to the individuals and communities who rely on your organization. It’s understandable your team is busy because they are passionate about striving to achieve your mission. It may be hard to find time to review your approach to fundraising, but it may be even harder to achieve your goals if your organization is missing out on fundraising opportunities.

In 2021, $20+ billion was donated globally through the PayPal Giving Platform.1 PayPal customers can extend their generosity in more ways than ever through easy and innovative ways to give.

Read on to explore fundraising options and tips to help bring in more donations during the holiday giving season and every day throughout the year.

Potential ways nonprofits can raise money

Ready to optimize your fundraising efforts? Check out these fundraising tips below:

Fundraise with QR codes and mobile sharing

Your website is not the only place to catch a potential donor’s attention. When you create a PayPal Donate button, it comes with a QR code and Donate link, making it easy to share in various channels online and even in the real world. When it comes to in-person donations, you can even accept donations on the go with PayPal Zettle.

PayPal tip: Use your QR code or Donate link for live streams, email campaigns, social media, partner websites, events, and printed fundraising materials.

Campaign fundraising pages without the monthly fees

Create a PayPal campaign fundraising page to raise funds on your website for an event, special project, or set a milestone to achieve over time. Receive funds directly into your PayPal account and only incur fees when you receive a donation. You can edit the banner image and text, add video, use comment functionality to engage donors and more.

PayPal tip: Customize your campaign page with specific information about the impact so donors can understand what their support will help to achieve.

Boost your presence online with PayPal Giving Fund

PayPal Giving Fund receives donations through PayPal, eBay, and other partner platforms and makes grants to donors’ recommended charities. PayPal Giving Fund passes along 100% of the funds they receive to the recommended charity.2

Eligible charities can enroll for free with PayPal Giving Fund to receive donated funds seamlessly, gain reporting insights, and benefit from fundraising on partner platforms, including PayPal Give at Checkout.

PayPal tip: Make it easy for supporters to identify your charity online by maintaining a consistent profile, logo, and bio about your mission or current fundraising efforts. This tip applies even if you are enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund – log in to view your charity dashboard and check if your profile is up to date.

Benefit from donations at checkout

When making a purchase online, PayPal consumers have the option to support a cause they care about with a $1 donation when Give at Checkout appears. PayPal covers donation processing fees for all Give at Checkout donations. There are no other deductions or fees, so the charity receives 100% of the funds raised.2

PayPal tip: Utilize the Give at Checkout toolkit (available in the PayPal Giving Fund Dashboard) to encourage supporters to set your organization as their favorite charity displayed when Give at Checkout appears. Only charities enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund can benefit from Give at Checkout donations.

Enable PayPal donations on your website

Give your supporters the option to make secure one-off or recurring donations with PayPal. Don’t worry if you don’t have technical support. Log in to your PayPal account to create your first Donate button.

PayPal tip: Mobile purchases are common, and donations are no exception. Make sure the PayPal Donate button on your website is easy to find for users on a mobile device.

Make the most of seasonal moments like Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement and a prime opportunity to create holiday giving campaigns to support your cause. In 2022, 37 million adults participated in Giving Tuesday in the U.S., totaling an estimated $3.1 billion in donations.3

PayPal tip: It is never too early to start planning your fundraising campaigns for the holiday giving season.

Types of fundraising events for nonprofits: 10 ideas to get started

Looking for fundraising inspiration? There are countless ways to raise money for your cause. From large-scale events to digital-only giving, here are some examples of fundraising events:

  1. Auctions

    Auctions are fundraising activities where individuals bid on valuable items or experiences. Proceeds from the highest bids are donated to your cause, while the winning bidders receive the items.

  2. Walkathon, cycling, and other fitness-style events

    From walkathons to cycling, these fitness-style fundraising events encourage people to travel a set distance to support your cause.

  3. Theater shows

    Looking for out-of-the-box fundraising ideas? Try a theater show. Attendees can purchase tickets or make donations to attend the play, with proceeds supporting your cause or organization.

  4. Creative arts exhibitions

    Showcasing local artists' work, this type of fundraising event provides a platform for art enthusiasts to support both the arts and your cause.

  5. Leverage GoFundMe, Facebook and Instagram

    Using these platforms, motivate your supporters to create their own fundraising campaigns to support your cause.

  6. Silent disco party

    Host a silent disco party, where participants wear wireless headphones and dance to themed music, with entry fees contributing to your fundraising goal.

  7. Casino night

    Plan a casino-themed fundraising event with games like poker, blackjack, and roulette. Guests can donate to your cause to play and win prizes.

  8. Benefit concerts

    Musicians, bands, or performing artists can donate their talent for a live concert while ticket sales or donations go toward your cause.

  9. Peer-to-peer fundraising

    Instead of receiving gifts for a special occasion like a birthday or wedding, encourage your supporters to create a PayPal fundraiser and reach out to their social network to gather donations.

  10. Trivia night

    Host a trivia competition at a local venue or online, with teams paying an entry fee and competing for prizes while proceeds benefit your cause.

Learn more about fundraising with PayPal.

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